1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to both the fields of ground transportation of passengers and ground transportation of freight.
2. Statement of the Problem
The adoption of uniform standards for containers in 1968 by the International Standards Organization (ISO) precipitated a rapid growth of the containerized freight industry. Shipping companies quickly recognized the advantages of intermodal containers as opposed to traditional break-bulk transportation of cargo. Traditionally, break-bulk transportation required the cargo to be packaged and repackaged in-route (e.g., from truck trailer to rail car to ship). Containerization on the other hand, permits cargo to move from a point of origin to a final destination in a single intermodal container, thus reducing costs, shipping time, and minimizing customs formalities. The same container can be carried successively by ship, by rail car, and by truck. In addition, break-bulk transportation continues to play a major role in the freight industry.
Although passenger coaches travel many of the same routes as trains and trucks, and indeed even service some routes not regularly serviced by trucks or trains, the currently structured coach industry does not significantly participate in the freight market. Although the currently structured coach industry can haul limited loads (e.g., small, lightweight packages on some routes) along with passengers, it is not currently equipped to significantly enter the freight market while still serving passengers.
In addition, some routes serviced by coaches become unprofitable as the cost of servicing the route exceeds passenger demand, thereby reducing the mobility of people living in these isolated or outlying areas that are unable to afford private transportation (e.g., some elderly, disabled, and economically disadvantaged residents). Likewise, congestion in many urban areas is also becoming an ever increasing problem and operating separate coaches and freight trucks in these areas increases the congestion and associated pollution.
Therefore, to serve the transportation needs of outlying communities and congested urban areas and participating in the freight market, the following needs exist in the coach industry:
1. to transport containerized freight while simultaneously transporting passengers;
2. to provide a chassis that supports both a passenger area and a freight area.
3. to provide a comfortable and quiet passenger area adjacent a freight area;
4. to arrange the wheels and axles of the vehicle to support various loading conditions, and to provide traction, maximize fuel efficiency, and minimize tire wear;
5. to provide a suspension system that supports freight while maintaining the comfort and quiet of the ride for passengers;
6. to interconnect the frame supporting the passenger area with the frame supporting the freight area in such a way that the stress and forces are transferred throughout the vehicle;
7. to distribute the forces acting on the vehicle from both the passenger area and the freight loaded thereon under various passenger and freight loading conditions;
8. to position the engine in such a way that minimum ground clearances are maintained while maximizing the height of the freight that can be loaded onto the freight area;
9. to improve the profitability of existing routes by hauling freight in addition to passengers;
10. to expand market share in the coach industry by adding new routes;
11. to combine both freight and passenger service, especially in heavily congested areas;
12. to aggressively price passenger tickets by supplementing passenger fares with freight transportation fees;
13. to provide a flexible vehicle (i.e., one that can be used in different freight markets with little or no modification to the vehicle).
The prior art does not address these concerns. For example, Wirbitzky, NEOPLAN, double-decker buses, pp. 162-163 (1980), shows a test bus having a passenger compartment and a container for shuttle service between two NEOPLAN assembly plants. The test bus was designed to test suspension by placing a load on the back. The freight container, while removable, is not the standardized intermodal container discussed above that can be used interchangeably between other modes of transportation (e.g., train, ship, and truck). The test bus was constructed using a Spaceliner (a proprietary design of Neoplan Germany) and not a double-decker coach. A Spaceliner is a coach featuring a raised full length passenger level above a lowered driver, baggage, galley, and lavatory area. In addition, wheel and axle numbers and arrangements that would support the vehicle under various loading conditions are not shown nor discussed. No details are given with respect to the frame or frames supporting the vehicle, the suspension, or other structural details. Nor are any examples of use given, such as expanding market share in both passenger and freight markets, adding new routes, scheduling the simultaneous transportation of freight and passengers, etc.
1. Solution to the Problem. This invention provides a vehicle capable of simultaneously transporting freight and passengers. The freight area is designed so that the vehicle can transport standard intermodal containers. As such, the cargo can be readily interchanged with other modes of transportation (e.g., ship, railcar, truck, etc.). The chassis of the present invention provides the requisite strength and associated structure to support both a passenger area and freight loaded thereon. The passenger area is designed to provide passenger comfort and safety. That is, the passenger and freight areas are preferably dimensioned to reduce wind resistance and the rear wall of the passenger area is reinforced. The axles and corresponding wheels are arranged so that the vehicle can carry significant volumes of freight, as well as smaller volumes on a frequent basis. A retractable axle can be lowered to support a larger load or raised with smaller loads to increase fuel efficiency and reduce tire wear. The suspension system provides a consistently comfortable ride for passengers under various passenger and/or freight loadings. A truck frame and a coach spine are interconnected in a three-dimensional region to provide the strength (i.e., distribute stresses and forces throughout the vehicle) and durability to simultaneously haul freight and comfortably transport passengers. The forces acting on the vehicle from both the passenger area and the freight loaded thereon are distributed so that the vehicle meets or exceeds transportation safety and structural standards under various loading conditions. The engine is disposed in the rear of the vehicle in such a way that minimum ground clearances are maintained and the height of the freight loaded onto the vehicle is maximized.
In addition, the vehicle transports both passengers and freight, thus increasing the profitability of existing routes (i.e., the transport of freight provides a guaranteed source of income regardless of the number of passengers, if any). The vehicle also makes it possible to expand market share by adding new routes, especially in rural or outlying areas not currently serviced by mass transportation. Likewise, the vehicle combines both freight and passenger service, reducing congestion in heavily populated areas. The vehicle permits passenger fares to be supplemented with freight transportation fees so that passenger tickets can be aggressively priced. The vehicle can carry different types of freight (e.g., rural mail service, inter-city expedited freight, and secure and direct auto delivery, etc.) and different quantities of freight to many areas (e.g., freight staging areas, warehouses, direct delivery, airports, etc.) with little or no modification to the vehicle itself, making it a flexible vehicle for use in many freight markets.
2. Summary. The vehicle of the present invention has both a forward double-decker passenger area and a flatbed area preferably extending rearward from the passenger area. A coach chassis, having a coach spine connected to a truck frame in a three-dimensional region, supports both the passenger area and the flatbed area and provides the passengers with a gentle, comfortable ride while the vehicle is loaded to varying degrees with freight (e.g., an intermodal container loaded and secured to the flatbed or freight area). In addition, the freight is preferably loaded onto the flatbed or freight area so that the top of the passenger area is flush with the freight and the sides of the freight are inset from the sides of the passenger area, thus reducing wind resistance and further providing the passengers with a quiet, comfortable ride. Attachments or connectors (e.g., at each comer of the flatbed area) can be used to removably secure the freight (e.g., an intermodal container) to the flatbed area of the intermodal coach.
The truck frame is connected at least to the coach spine and preferably also connected in a three-dimensional region to the passenger area. Specifically, the coach spine extends beneath and to the rear wall of the passenger area while the truck frame extends beneath the freight area and through the passenger area rear wall and overlaps the coach spine. The truck frame is connected to the coach spine along the overlap by a plate. The passenger and freight areas are further integrally connected in the three-dimensional region by a series of support members. In a preferred embodiment, a first cross member extends across the front portion of the truck frame and connects the coach spine to the truck frame, and a three-part cross member connects the coach spine to the truck frame and to the rear and side walls of the passenger area. Rear support members are connected to the truck frame at the rear wall and extend vertically upward therefrom to connect at the second level of the passenger area. Front support members are connected to the truck frame at the first cross member and extend vertically upward therefrom to connect at the second level of the passenger area. Furthermore, a first diagonal support member is connected to the truck frame at the first cross member and extends diagonally upward therefrom to connect at the second level above the second cross member. A second diagonal support member is connected to the truck frame at the second cross member and extends diagonally upward therefrom to connect at the second level above the first cross member. Preferably, the first and second diagonal support members crisscross one another at the respective midpoints. As such, the truck frame and coach spine are integrally connected in a three-dimensional region of the passenger area so that when a load is placed on the freight area, the resulting forces are distributed over the truck frame and into the passenger area.
The vehicle of the present invention also preferably includes a front axle with a front set of wheels beneath the front portion of the passenger area. A drive axle with dual drive wheels, supported by a trailing arm suspension, and a tag axle with a pair of tag wheels is positioned beneath the rear portion of the freight area behind the drive axle. In addition, preferably, a retractable axle is positioned beneath the freight area between the passenger area and the drive axle. A lift mechanism moves the retractable axle between a retracted position and an extended position. As such, the retractable axle increases the freight hauling capacity of the vehicle.
Also in a preferred embodiment, the engine is positioned under the rear portion of the freight area and disposed between a forward region defined by a ground clearance height and a vehicle height and a rearward region defined by the departure angle and the vehicle height.
These and other advantages, features, and objects of the present invention will be more readily understood in view of the following detailed description and the drawings.